Automating Repetitive Tasks: 3 Real-World Cases and the Time Saved
What Repetitive Tasks Really Cost
Ask any team manager how many hours a week their people spend copy-pasting data, consolidating Excel files, sorting through emails, or chasing down reports. The answer is rarely pleasant to hear.
These tasks are far from trivial. They eat up time, generate errors, and above all they erode motivation. A talented sales rep who spends every Friday filling in tracking spreadsheets is directing energy away from clients. An executive assistant who manually re-enters information from one tool to another is introducing risk of error on every single line.
Automation is not reserved for large enterprises with sizeable tech teams. With the right tools and a pragmatic approach, entire processes can be made more reliable and faster — without changing your teams' working habits.
Here are three concrete cases drawn from situations we encounter on a regular basis.
Case 1 — Automated Reporting and Dashboards
The problem before
Every Monday morning (or at the end of each month), someone on the team spends several hours pulling data from different sources — business software, CRM, shared files — to consolidate it into an Excel spreadsheet and produce a report. That report often arrives late, with data that is already stale, and no one can be certain it reflects the current reality.
What we automate
We connect the data sources directly to a centralised dashboard. Key indicators — activity, volumes, performance, alerts — update in real time or at regular intervals, with no human intervention required. This is exactly what we set up for Garage Cleanbrise with Jarvis: a management dashboard that aggregates vehicle tracking in real time, allowing managers to see the state of their fleet at a glance, without having to chase down information.
The benefit
No more Monday report. Decisions are made on fresh data. And the teams who used to spend hours consolidating figures can now invest that time in analysing them and taking action.
The gain is not only in hours — it is also in decision quality. An executive steering on data that is two weeks old is navigating blind.
Case 2 — Processing Incoming Documents and Emails
The problem before
Every day, dozens of emails arrive: client requests, quotes to approve, documents to file, forms to process. Someone reads them, sorts them, extracts the relevant information, enters it into the right tool, then forwards or replies. This is time-consuming, repetitive, and any oversights or processing delays create friction with clients or partners.
What we automate
Thanks to applied AI, it is now possible to automatically read a document or email, extract structured information (amount, date, client name, nature of the request), classify it in the right category, and trigger an action — a notification, an update in the CRM, or even a draft reply submitted for approval before sending.
This type of processing, which we apply in contexts such as healthcare with Saana or data projects such as those carried out for MGEN, makes it possible to drastically reduce processing time while ensuring reliable information handoff.
The benefit
Documents no longer sit waiting in an inbox. Information arrives exactly where it needs to go, with no re-entry required. Teams only step in for complex cases or decisions that require genuine added value.
Automation does not replace human judgement — it eliminates mechanical work so that judgement can be applied where it truly matters.
Case 3 — Data Entry and Synchronisation Across Tools
The problem before
Your team uses a CRM, an invoicing tool, and perhaps an ERP or a specific business application. These tools do not always communicate with each other. The result: the same information is entered twice, three times, by different people. Inconsistencies accumulate. When a client changes their address or an order is modified, every tool has to be updated manually.
What we automate
We create connections between tools — via APIs or connectors — so that data flows automatically. An order confirmed in the CRM updates the invoicing system. A new contact added through a form appears across all systems with no human intervention. This type of integration, which we have implemented notably for Air Liquide as part of their health data platform, eliminates double data entry and ensures that all tools share the same single source of truth.
The benefit
Fewer errors, less friction, less time wasted correcting inconsistencies. And most importantly: your teams trust the data they see, which fundamentally changes the way they work.
How to Identify What Is Worth Automating
Not everything can be automated, and trying to automate everything at once is a common mistake. Here are the four criteria that signal a process is a strong candidate:
1. It is repetitive. The task recurs regularly — daily, weekly, monthly — in a predictable way.
2. It is time-consuming. It ties up qualified people on operations that require no complex judgement.
3. The rules are clear. You can precisely describe what needs to happen in each situation. If there are too many exceptions or edge cases, the automation project takes longer — but it is not impossible.
4. It is error-prone. When humans perform repetitive tasks, errors happen. A piece of data copied incorrectly, an email forgotten, a number transposed. Automation makes processes mechanically reliable.
A good starting point: ask your teams which tasks they do "out of habit" and find tedious. The answers almost always point to processes that can be automated.
Automating Means Giving Time Back to Your Teams
Companies that automate intelligently do not do so to reduce headcount. They do it so their teams spend less time on what can be delegated to a machine, and more time on what genuinely creates value: client relationships, analysis, creativity, decision-making.
At Twenty, we support executives and teams who want to take action without drowning in technical complexity. Over 11 years and more than 45 delivered projects, we have helped over 25 teams identify the right levers and put them into practice — with measurable gains in time and reliability.
Our positioning is straightforward: bringing you the expertise of a major firm, with the closeness of a partner who understands your constraints. You retain control; you delegate the execution.
Let's talk about your project
Do you have a process in mind that deserves to be automated? Or would you simply like to take stock of what is possible in your context?
Get in touch directly:
- WhatsApp: +33 6 34 42 50 56
- Email: contact@twentyconsultancy.com
A 30-minute conversation is usually enough to identify two or three concrete opportunities. No jargon, no commitment.